The stench has spread quickly through the neighbourhood, and videos of the scene shared widely on social media captured the lake’s surface covered in lifeless fish, with onlookers in shock.
Several residents in the area whom The Goan spoke to said the phenomenon began suddenly, with no warning signs at all, and some of them suspect poisoning or severe contamination of the water.
One resident recalled a similar incident in the past and raised fears that the problem is recurring and not being addressed. “This is not the first time. Nobody knows the exact cause behind it,” said Datta Palekar, a resident of the area and a well-known body-builder and fitness coach.
Palekar urged that the authorities act swiftly before the situation worsens, even as the incident has sparked anxiety in the resident community of the area.
Environmentalists and activists have raised concern that such mass deaths of fish could possibly be an indicator of deeper ecological damage, threatening not only aquatic life but also public health.
Residents have demanded that the incident be urgently probed by the relevant authorities and that immediate clean-up measures be taken.
Civic authorities in Panaji, however, are yet to address the situation or issue any formal statement, but pressure is mounting for swift action.
